More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2026

The "More Behavioral Health Providers Act of 2026" aims to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services for Medicare beneficiaries. It achieves this by significantly expanding the existing **Medicare health professional shortage area bonus program**. Currently, physicians receive a 10% bonus for services rendered in general health professional shortage areas. This legislation introduces a new, higher **15% bonus payment** specifically for "specified health services" provided in designated **mental health professional shortage areas**. These services include the diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of mental health disorders, as well as the treatment of substance use disorders or co-occurring mental health conditions. The expanded eligibility for this enhanced bonus, effective January 1, 2027, extends beyond physicians to include a variety of **applicable practitioners**. The newly defined "applicable practitioners" encompass a wide range of behavioral health professionals, including: Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists. Clinical social workers and clinical psychologists. Marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. This comprehensive expansion seeks to incentivize more behavioral health professionals to practice in underserved communities, thereby addressing critical shortages in mental health and substance use disorder care.